A group of Republican senators took to the Senate floor on Wednesday night in an effort to convince Alabama GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville to remove his hold on over 370 military nominations.
For more than four hours, Republican Senators Dan Sullivan, Joni Ernst, Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney, and Todd Young passionately pleaded with Tuberville to drop his hold. They made their case and spoke at length about the individuals whose nominations were being blocked.
As each nominee was presented for a unanimous consent vote, the presiding officer asked if there were any objections. And every time, Tuberville responded with a resounding “I object.”
Tuberville has been using his power to prevent the Senate from approving military nominations en masse as a means of protesting a Pentagon policy that funds travel expenses for service members who need to leave their state for reproductive care, including abortions.
After Tuberville objected to a motion by Graham that included the nomination of Laura Lenderman as deputy commander of the Pacific Air Forces, Graham criticized Tuberville for denying Lenderman a well-deserved promotion. Graham emphasized that Lenderman had nothing to do with the policy in question.
Graham further argued that Tuberville’s holds were severely impacting the military, stating, “Senator Tuberville, whether you believe it or not, this is causing great damage to our military. I don’t say that lightly. I have been trying to work with you for nine months.”
Romney chimed in, cautioning his fellow senators about the significant power they hold to block confirmations. He stressed the importance of using this power responsibly and not jeopardizing the capabilities and well-being of the military and its personnel. While Romney agreed that the Pentagon policy violates the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits government funding for abortions, he suggested addressing the issue through the courts and proposing a solution that would allow private charities to fund abortions for service members out of state.
On Wednesday evening, Tuberville blocked 61 nominations on the Senate floor, according to Sullivan.
Despite Tuberville’s hold, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture, setting the stage for potential confirmation votes on three top nominations – the heads of the Navy and the Air Force, as well as the No. 2 position at the Marine Corps.
This push for confirmation is particularly crucial for the Marine Corps, as the current head, Gen. Eric Smith, is hospitalized due to a medical emergency. Without a confirmed assistant commandant, the Marine Corps is being led by the next highest-ranking officer, a three-star general.
If the nominees for the Air Force and Navy positions are confirmed, it will be the first time since July that the joint chiefs of staff will have a Senate-confirmed leader for every military service branch.
While the Senate has managed to bypass Tuberville’s hold in a limited capacity by individually voting on a handful of key nominees over the past few months, it would take weeks to complete the process for the remaining 370 flag and general officer nominations.
Tuberville’s hold is now impacting leadership positions in the Middle East, where tensions between Israel and Hamas have escalated. The U.S. has deployed over 1,200 troops to the region, both in response to the conflict in Israel and to protect American forces in Iraq and Syria, which have faced repeated attacks in recent weeks.
Among the key nominations being affected are the commander of the Navy’s 5th fleet and the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command.
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